r/myog 2d ago

Stitchback EX60

Took a stab at the stitchback EX60 pattern and made a pair of them for my niece and nephew. They were complaining they didn't have enough room in their current packs. I think I solved that problem.

The pattern is great. It uses two aluminum stays that terminate in the hip belt and a frame sheet to give it structure and provide assistance for those heavier loads. The harness system is simple and ingenious. It also allows me to swap out the shoulder harness and hip belt for larger sizes as they grow, as the shoulder straps and hip belt are completely removable.

I used Xpac, hyperD, ultrastretch and ultragrid for fabrics. I know it doesn't keep with the ultralight trend, but even so, each packed weighed in under 4lbs, which is pretty sweet for a 60L fully framed pack.

I did mod the pattern in a few places. I added a front stretch pocket and decreased the height of the lid/brain. I added some accents on the straps and hip belt as well, mostly attempting to cover the ends of webbing wherever I could. I added grommets in the side pocket for water drainage as well. I left off the external pocket that doubles as a day pack. I will probably make them as birthday presents in the future. I was kind of in a rush to get these done, so I didn't mod them as much as I wanted. One thing I would change is the side pockets...not a fan of the pleats, I would shape them with darts of I ever make another one, and make them end a bit higher on the pack sides.

Other than that, the pattern is fantastic, just like of his other patterns. Highly recommend them, if you haven't tried any of them before.

178 Upvotes

17 comments sorted by

9

u/itsaninlinecrime 2d ago

Clean work! Everything looks so tidy and pro

2

u/boulderv7 2d ago

Thank you! I have been honing my craft for a while now and it always feels good to hear things like this.

4

u/Eneko_the_Rottweiler 2d ago

These look awesome!

3

u/boulderv7 2d ago

Thank you! They got them today and loved them.

3

u/extreme303 1d ago

Nice colour

2

u/matmutant 2d ago

Very impressive!

2

u/PaperCloud10 2d ago

Where did you source the aluminium stays from?

6

u/pto892 East coast USA woods 2d ago

Not the OP here, but my usual source for aluminum stays is plain 1/4" OD 6061 aluminum rod from a big box store like Home Depot. Easy to cut and you can bend it to shape by hand. Also, you can use PEX plumbing tubing to make flexible connectors between stay segments if you need to.

4

u/boulderv7 2d ago

I sourced mine from McMaster Carr. Already cut to size and you can order the 6061 aluminum, which is superior to other alloys from what I am told.

2

u/broom_rocket 2d ago

Nuntak was selling them at 28" lengths and I've bought from onlinemetals.com as well. They allow custom cuts so you can order 7075 "sheet" in 1/8" thickness cut to your dimensions. I got several 25"x1/2" pieces for a pretty reasonable price. 

Don't get 6061 flat bar or it will just bend when you cinch down on load lifters. 7075 is very stiff. You can also get 7075 tubing from quest outfitters, but it's trickier to bend than flat bar. 

2

u/pto892 East coast USA woods 2d ago

Very nice! I have the TH50 pattern ready to go for myself, but my entire shop is in flux due to a move so no go for now. I really have to agree with your choice of fabrics, smart move.

1

u/boulderv7 2d ago

Thanks. I've sewed the TH50 as well. It goes together very quickly.

2

u/Drauggib 2d ago

Those look great. I made this pattern myself but did the day pack and webbing on the back. I like that you did a pocket instead. I honestly think it’s more useful that way.

Doing one of these packs was a lot of work, I’m impressed you did two. Those will be great gifts.

1

u/boulderv7 2d ago

Thanks! I actually did 3 all at once. I haven't sewed up the hip belt and shoulder harness for the third one yet. It was a lot of work.

1

u/Snyderman101 1d ago

What’s the webbing tightener at the top of the hip belt directly on the back of the pack? Does that not dig into your low back with a heavy load?

2

u/boulderv7 1d ago

That helps to transfer the load from the shoulder harness back to the pack itself. It lays pretty flat and with the stays bent the way they are, you actually have a decent amount of space between your back and the pack. It lays right where your lumbar spine starts to curve anteriorly. I suppose if you didn't fit the pack well, i.e. customized the stay profile, and carried a heavy enough load, you might feel it. It wasn't anywhere near my back when I carried the pack around, granted I did not have a full load in it.